For five years, cast iron wood stoves were my sole source of heat. Building a fire was required if one didn’t want to freeze to death in the night. Nowadays, I’m eternally grateful for the little white box on the wall with buttons that you can poke to make heat shoot out of vents. But sometimes I miss building fires.
I’ve written about Solo Stove’s smokeless fire pits for years and knew that was the brand of fire pit I’d get when space and funds allowed. My husband wasn’t quite as convinced. He thought the metal cylinders looked a bit too much like giant soda cans with the tops cut off — he’s not wrong.
This year, as I searched for a fire pit that looked a little more elegant, I took another gander at Solo Stove’s wares and was so happy to find the Surround kit. It’s basically a round metal housing that’s part safety accessory, part handy table and enough of a design element to make the whole package look stylish. The stove itself rests on cross bars inside the Surround while a perforated metal ring orbits the top of the pit. A fabric skirt goes around the sides of the stove with about six inches of clearance.
I went with the 19-inch (in diameter) Bonfire size, which Solo Stove says seats four to six people. I was tempted by the massive seven-person Yukon, but decided my small backyard and family of three would probably be well served by the more modestly sized option. I was right.
The inaugural burn accommodated a gaggle of five eight-year-olds and their parents — who all felt much more comfortable with the Surround’s buffer. The kids learned that strawberries, basil leaves, mint, tomatoes and other random harvests from the garden all burned just great. And if your marshmallow just so happens to fall in the flames as you’re making your s’mores, that’ll burn nicely, too. Waking up the next morning to hair that didn’t smell like smoke was perhaps my favorite part. That and knowing fire-building was once again an option — but not a requirement. — Amy Skorheim, Senior Reporter
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